The Advocacy Specialist is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to promote UNICEF’s priorities for children in Somalia, including supporting communication, media engagement, and partnership coordination. They will work closely with programme teams and partners to ensure effective advocacy, communication, and visibility of UNICEF’s efforts for children’s well-being and rights.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Future

How can you make a difference?

The Advocacy Specialist is accountable for coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children. This includes supporting the implementation of national advocacy strategies.

The Advocacy Specialist will report to the Chief of Communication (Level 4) and will work closely with programme sections and partners to support advocacy, communication and visibility of UNICEF’s work for children across priority programme areas. The position will also support coordination and management of communication and advocacy grants where required.

  1. Advocacy strategy development:
  • Provide technical support in developing a robust advocacy strategy, with SMART outcomes, compelling calls to action, and a clear theory of change. Analyze national political, economic and cultural trends from a wide range of sources and identify potential advocacy opportunities and challenges.
  • Propose new approaches and innovative ideas as part of the strategy development process.
  1. Advocacy strategy implementation:
  • Coordinate the implementation of the advocacy strategy and plan, working across teams to deliver a range of advocacy tactics, such as: developing advocacy briefs and products, producing advocacy narratives, shaping creative activations to drive public engagement, working with the media, and organizing advocacy events.
  1. Advocacy M&E:
  • Establish baselines against which advocacy outcomes are regularly monitored; analyze the effectiveness of the strategy, approach and activities, and drive the day-to-day production and dissemination of advocacy M&E results on a regular basis.
  1. Project and Budget Management:
  • Manage day-to-day delivery of key projects/ workstreams, reviewing work plans to ensure progress and delivery while addressing obstacles and bottlenecks. Ensure effectiveness and transparent use of budget and resources.
  1. Advocacy Capacity Building:
  • Contribute to building stakeholder capacities in advocacy, through coaching, training and sharing of advocacy expertise.
  1. Stakeholder engagement:
  • Identify, build and maintain formal and informal advocacy partnerships and networks through proactive collaboration with strategic internal and external partners.
  • Adopt a consultative approach and solicit the support of key stakeholders at critical points of the strategy.
  1. Communication and Media Support
  • Support the Communication team in developing and disseminating communication products including human interest stories, multimedia materials, advocacy briefs and social media content highlighting UNICEF’s work for children.
  • Contribute to digital communication and visibility efforts including social media engagement, campaigns and online advocacy initiatives when required.
  • Provide communication and advocacy support to programme sections as needed, ensuring consistent messaging across UNICEF priorities.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Advocacy and Communication Specialist (1).docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements

  1. Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Communications, Public Health, Social Science, International Development, Communications, Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development and any other related fields.A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree)in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
  2. Work Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience in Communication, Media, Monitoring and Evaluation, Advocacy Strategy Development, Advocacy Strategy Implementation, Team Building, Advocacy Capacity Building, Stakeholder Engagement, Communication and Media Support and any other related fields.
  3. Skills: Accountability, Advocacy, Communication, Coordination, Monitoring, Partnerships
  4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

  1. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language (Somali) is an asset. 
  2. Networking, Creativity, Campaigns, Digital, Messaging
  3. Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.